<p>I posted this on another board, but I need more feedback. Please help.</p>
<p>My cousin has a great dilemma. She was recently accepted as a transfer student to Tulane University (yay!), and she is thrilled. However, she received her financial aid package that is not so great; essentially meaning that if she were to have this fixed rate of aid each year, she would have $45k of debt when she graduates. Additionally, she aspires to attend one of the best law schools in the nation, which average indebtedness of law students is $80k. Collectively, that is at least $125k of debt--that's a mortgage. She is, though, a little discouraged to attend Tulane now given that she would have a "mortgage" to pay after all her schooling. I pity her because I'd love her to attend Tulane with me, but I also don't want her to struggle with debt. So tell me so that I may relay the message to her, does the benefit outweigh the cost? Or does the cost win this time?</p>
<p>Where is she at school now? What would her debt be from that school? Has she called Tulane Admissions/FinAid to see if there is any chance of improving the package?</p>
<p>University of Central Florida. She borrowed about $4.5k last year, and she if she continues at UCF, she would borrow an additional $5k No, I don't believe she has called the Fin. Aid office to inquire an improvement. Do you think Tulane Fin. Aid would reconsider her package?</p>
<p>In my opinion, the undergraduate university doesn't matter if you wan't to go to law school. In order to get into a top of the line law school a 3.9-4.0 will be required at UCF in addition to a spectacular LSATs. So if she has grades like this I would be more worried about the LSAT at this point rather than transferring to Tulane. </p>
<p>Youre right, law school is very expensive and once people get in, they find out its not always for them. Therefore, the debt will have to be minimized.</p>
<p>do try that. i actually drove up to my school and pleaded my case in person with my mom, and it worked :D when i did this (for a different school) when deciding where to go for freshman year, it didn't work... sometimes certain things w/transfers are different. you aren't competing against as many people.</p>
<p>I'd say she's pretty lucky...I'll have over 80k in debt after undergrad...yuck. But I'm only going to go to a private school over my top state school if I get into the best, where it's actually worth attending. I don't know if Tulane is worth that much more debt.</p>